The implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has brought innovation to educational processes, promoting methodologies that encourage active learning and the development of skills and abilities in students. Thus, it is essential to reflect on teaching and learning outcomes to move toward higher-quality education in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4): Quality Education.

Gamification and game-based learning stand out among the most effective active methodologies, as they generate positive emotions and increase student motivation. Moreover, they are especially useful in subjects with complex content that traditionally pose greater learning difficulties.

In the Food Science and Technology degree at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos there are subjects related to physicochemical and sensory analysis of food with high experimental laboratory work. These subjects are both mandatory (e.g., Food Analysis Techniques (TAN) and Food Chemistry (QALI) in 2nd course, and Food Analysis and Quality Control (ACC) in 3rd course) and optional (e.g., Analytical Control of Contaminants in Food (COAN) and Technology and Characterization of Dairy Products (TECA) in 4th course), and all of them are essential for the graduate's professional profile. However, they pose a challenge for students due to their complexity and lack of prior knowledge in the use of laboratory materials and equipment.

One way to face these challenges is to implement coordinated activities across subjects with related content. These coordinated activities create synergies that enrich the teaching-learning process, promoting a more integrated and contextualized view of knowledge, improving curricular coherence and the transfer of skills between subjects, and reinforcing meaningful learning. Accordingly, during the 2024-2025 academic year, this degree implemented a teaching innovation proposal based on the development of digital tools for coordinated use among related subjects. Thus, activities based on gamification through virtual tours were designed with the Genially online tool. The virtual tours were created with a scavenger hunt type dynamic that involved integrated challenges and tests. These activities allowed students to familiarize themselves with the laboratories, materials, and basic operations before the practical lessons.

The activities were mandatory and were carried out in groups during a 2-hour class session. They were performed in the four subjects (i.e., TAN, QALI, ACC, COAN and TECA) in their respective courses, adapting them to the specific content of each. In 4th year, aspects related to sustainability were also incorporated, such as good practices in green analysis and the promotion of healthy habits, reinforcing training in the SDGs.

The results obtained from the evaluation surveys showed a very positive assessment of the activities by both students and teachers, highlighting their usefulness in improving comprehension, motivation and preparation for practical lessons.

In short, the implementation of coordinated activities among cross-curricular subjects combined with active digital learning tools allows the optimization of resources, reinforcing the transfer of knowledge and skills, and fostering more motivating, meaningful and sustainable teaching.

Acknowledgement:
“Action funded by the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in the call Proyectos de Innovación Educativa 2024/2025, with project code PIE24_094”

Keywords: Practical education in sciences, Digital active learning, Coordinated activities across subjects, Virtual tours with challenges and tests.